Oak Processionary Moth

[Dave McCormick]

I just read this in BCNI Newsletter I got today:

The oak processionary moth, up to reciently a rare immigrant to southern England has now taken up residance there thanks to eggs imported on a plant from Tuscany. Climate warming has seen it spread to northern Europe where it has reached plague proportions, causing health problems to anybody in contact with them. They are spreading north in England and it is probably just a matter of time before they appear in Ireland, so be on your guard and report any you see.

It is a small grey moth with an orange yellow fringe and a wingspan of only 15mm, but the name comes from the way the caterpillarss move, long lines in single file, to devour the oak foliage, mainly at night. They shed tens of thousands of tiny hairs which drift in the wind causing allergic reactions, asthma, skin rash, eye infections and n a few cases, even death in humans

After reading this, I will be on lookout from now on. Did not realise how dangerous these moths could be.

[Denise]

There was a small clip on a wildlife program in the summer (might have been Springwatch) about these moths and how they caused the temporary closure of a lifeboat station in north Devon!

Denise

[Piers]

They caused a stir at Kew earlier in 2007.

See also: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... noak14.xml

I this a notifiable species in Britain? I'm pretty sure that DEFRA identified the species as a 'significant' risk.

Felix.

[Matsukaze]

Some interesting pics here (article in German):

http://www.schmetterling-raupe.de/art/p ... onea_s.htm